Problematic news framing of #MeToo

Abstract

Mainstream US news coverage of #MeToo reprises some of the central limitations of news coverage of rape and sexual assault from prior decades. However, #MeToo coverage also includes some indications of the contributions of corporate culture and rape culture to the abuses of power that have taken place. Through a close analysis of NewYork Times and Washington Post coverage of two cases, those of Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer, this article shows how most stories are framed from the point of view of the perpetrator or the organization of which he is a part. Following limitations of coverage in earlier eras, victims and their specific claims and experiences are quickly sidelined. Nonetheless, some stories name the problematic behaviors of perpetrators and discuss abuses of power and the role of corporate culture. These elements, while included, are dwarfed by the preponderance of coverage that is framed as centrally about either the accused or about the costs of his dismissal from the organization of which he was a part. In the context of this analysis, the final section of the article proposes several suggestions for improved coverage of #MeToo cases.